Manufacturers of offshore access gangways say clients are looking for systems with greater capacity – including transferring equipment – and the ability to work at a range of heights whilst having a minimal footprint
Walking to work across a gangway has become commonplace for technicians in the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind industries. Early, first-generation systems provided the ability to transfer personnel from vessels to a fixed structure, but a new generation of walk-to-work technology has recently been introduced that enables technicians and their equipment to be transferred from a suitably sized vessel direct to an offshore platform, wind turbine or other offshore structure, such as a substation.
Speaking to OSJ in January, Ben Webster, managing director of Osbit in the UK, highlighted the growing need to transfer equipment as well as personnel, whilst maintaining system compactness on deck. The other important trend in the walk-to-work segment that he highlighted is the need to be able to transfer personnel and equipment at a range of heights.
“The height at which transfers need to be undertaken can vary significantly,” Mr Webster told OSJ. “It depends on the height of the platform, turbine or substation. Large tidal variation is not uncommon in the offshore wind sector, for instance, so increasingly, you need to be able to provide stepless transfer and enable tools and other equipment to be transferred. This has led to the development of more capable systems that incorporate elevators and a tower within which an elevator is housed, along with stairs for emergency purposes.
There are a growing number of standardised walk-to-work systems on the market, but there is a growing demand for customised systems too. An example is a P-12R gangway that Osbit delivered to Dutch company Van Oord in 2016 for installation on the heavy-lift unit Svanen. The vessel has been initially deployed to support construction of the Burbo Bank Extension windfarm off the northwest coast of the UK. Osbit’s tailored offshore access system helped to streamline operations, enabling technicians to safely and reliably access the transition pieces in an area with significantly wide tidal range. To overcome this challenge, Osbit’s engineers applied a roller system to allow vertical movement of the gangway without operator intervention, allowing the system to adjust to tidal conditions automatically. The P-12R access system was also fitted with a swivelling end step to enable safe access, even when the gangway is not facing directly onto the transition piece’s boat landing access ladder, and enable Van Oord to safely transfer personnel in a range of offshore weather conditions.
New access systems continue to enter the market, among them Van Aalst’s SafeWay walk-to-work access system, testing of which was completed at the end of 2016. Early 2017 was expected to see The Netherlands-based Safeway begin demonstrating the capability of the system under the terms of an agreement with Assodivers Group to install the motion compensated offshore access system on Aethra, a 94m construction support vessel with accommodation for 87 people. The system was installed on the vessel at the end of January 2017.
Safeway says the system’s roll compensation technology will provide year-round workability in North Sea conditions. The company also highlights the system’s 10m height-adjustable mast, which will ensure that all required landing heights can be safely reached with a level gangway. In addition to slewing, luffing and telescoping, Safeway introduces a fourth motion actuator, an independent roll compensation system at the bottom of the pedestal. With vessel rolling being the biggest constraint for conventional gangways, this provides improved workability whilst maintaining similar safety margins. The 10m elevation capacity of the gangway increases the number of installations on which a landing can be made.
Among the latest developments from Ampelmann in The Netherlands is the N-type gangway, which has been designed specifically for work in adverse environmental conditions. Late 2016 saw Ampelmann start the assembly phase of an Ampelmann N-type motion compensated gangway system that is capable of working in extreme conditions in temperatures as low as -28°C). It can also handle high levels of vibration and vessel motions whilst maintaining a safe, efficient and reliable means of transfer. The N-type will be installed on one of Sakhalin Energy Investment Company’s new icebreaking standby vessels due for delivery in 2017. Production of the components for the N-type started last summer. Oscar Calkoen, project director for the N-type, said delivery of the new gangway is key for Ampelmann’s innovation strategy. “The new technology required to winterise this system has been a joint effort with existing and new suppliers,” he said. Another recent contract saw the company deliver a motion compensated gangway for Pacific Kestrel, a 57m catamaran crewboat for Swire Pacific Offshore that was built by Austal Ships. The 40 knot vessel is capable of transporting 90 personnel plus cargo. It has a large aft cargo deck with integrated structural mounts for an Ampelmann gangway, facilitating the safe transfer of personnel to offshore platforms. Aided by a DP2 dynamic positioning system, the vessel will hold station in rough conditions during crew transfers with multiple redundancies to complete transfers in the unlikely event of a main engine, thruster or individual system failure. Similar systems are already in service on the 70m vessels Muslim Magomayev and Rashid Behbudov, also designed by Incat Crowther.
Uptime International in Norway has announced details of new contracts for walk-to-work gangways for the offshore wind industry. It recently signed contracts for two walk-to-work systems with the ability to transfer personnel and cargo in rough weather conditions. Østensjø Rederi acquired an Uptime 23.4m active motion compensated gangway that was installed on its multipurpose supply vessel Edda Fjord, which was already working in the walk-to-work market, in late 2016. The second contract was from GC Rieber for another Uptime 23.4m gangway, which will be installed on its vessel Polar Queen. Polar Queen has been awarded a contract by Senvion to work on the Nordsee One offshore windfarm, supporting turbine commissioning.
Uptime has also entered the rental market with a range of gangways. Its rental stock includes 8m, 12m, 15m, 23.4m, 26m and 42.5m units. The first rental contract for an Uptime 23.4m active motion compensated gangway was with Norwegian shipowner Eidesvik Offshore for the vessel Acergy Viking, which has a nine-month contract for Siemens Wind Power. Uptime has also contracted a 23.4m heave compensated gangway with Solstad Offshore, which has been awarded a 23-month plus option contract for Rem Installer, which will be working for Dong Energy Wind Power on the Gode Wind I, Gode Wind II and Borkum Riffgrund windfarms.
SMST Designers and Constructors in The Netherlands has been awarded a contract for the delivery of a dynamic motion compensated gangway system and 3D motion compensated crane for Acta Marine’s new offshore construction vessel, which is being built at Ulstein in Norway. SMST claims that the system will be the first of its kind “and offer a complete solution for offshore logistics”. The system is mounted on an integrated tower including height adjustment and a lift for personnel and cargo. It is a complete package with an elevator and access bridge trolley system. The trolley allows cargo pallets to be transported on the elevator, which can stop at different levels to optimise the performance of the vessel. The vessel will also be equipped with a 3D motion compensated crane with a lifting capacity of 6 tonnes. SMST describes the combination of the access system and the crane as “a modular setup that maximises utilisation and performance whilst focusing on safety and efficient transfer of cargo and personnel”. It can do so in significant wave heights of up to 3m Hs.
As is evident from the above, a growing number of owners of offshore support vessels are finding work in the offshore wind energy industry using vessels fitted as accommodation units and with a means of transferring personnel. January 2017 saw Simon Møkster Shipping in Norway secure another contract in the offshore wind energy industry. The Norwegian shipowner signed a contract for the vessel Stril Server with VBMS, the subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster. The contract will start in April 2017 and is for five months plus options. The vessel will assist VBMS with operations in the North Sea.
Chevalier Floatels says its vessels DP Galyna and DP Gezina benefit from being highly manoeuvrable and having low fuel consumption and costs compared with many units. “Some clients still believe that bigger is better, and of course, large oil and gas vessels with more horsepower do better in bad weather, but our vessels are more workable, even in bad weather. We have completed as many as 55 individual Ampelmann connections in 24 hours,” the company told OSJ. “This is way, way more than the large vessels can do. It is true that, in rough weather, our vessels have to stop working a bit sooner. However, our vessels work in 2m significant wave height (Hs), sometimes 2.2m Hs. Larger ones can work in about 2.5m Hs, but there is a point at which no one will be using a gangway, whatever the size of the vessel. In practice, we miss a few hours until larger vessels have to stop working, but on workable days, we get far more work done than the big boys and at up to 25 per cent lower cost. On top of that, our CO2 emissions are also much lower.”
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